Process - Motion Capture Project
In this series of work I translate dance movements into 3D sculpture to explore human emotion. Instead of capturing the figurative shapes of the dancer at a specific moment in time, it is the movement pathways of the dancer’s limbs and body that are captured and translated into sculptural shapes.
I partnered with Meredith Blackmore - Performance Artist and Fast Motion Studios to realise this ambitious project. Meredith wore special clothing with multiple sensors and her dance sequences were recorded using an OptiTrack system. In post production, bespoke computer code was developed to convert these movement pathway recordings into 3-D printable format.
I used a 3D printer to create the scaled movement pathway model.
I created a silicone mold of the model.
I then poured wax into the silicone mold to create a wax positive that I edited.
Using the lost wax casting technique, I invested the wax positive in a plaster silica mixture that can withstand the high temperatures of the kiln. I steamed the wax out of the plaster mold leaving a cavity. I then transferred the mold to the kiln and loaded it with glass. At high temperatures, the glass was melted into the cavity, creating the cast glass sculpture.
Videos:
The following video is a short record of the inspiration and process in the making this work.
The following longer video was screened in a Free-Dome multi-projector display installation during Shape of Dance Exhibition 2020.
